Hamas continues efforts to keep Gaza civilians between it and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Chris Mitchell, the Middle East Bureau Chief for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), said on Washington Watch Tuesday.
These aren’t the only fronts in the war, Mitchell told show host Tony Perkins, as the Yemen-based Houthis launched an attack earlier Tuesday.
“We’re talking to you right now from Magdala in the Galilee, and on the way up Route six, one of the main highways here in Israel, an air raid siren went off. Many people literally were getting off, stopping on the side of the road, getting in ditches because the Houthis had fired yet another ballistic missile,” Mitchell said.
All this comes as the United Nations prepares to meet on Sept. 22 when it will discuss the recognition of a Palestinian state.
A number of countries – France and the United Kingdom among them -- have announced their intentions to recognize a Palestinian state, conditional on or timed with the U.N. General Assembly.
The genocide accusation
Earlier this week, the U.N. Human Rights Council released the findings of its independent report that concluded Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
The report was conducted by Navi Pillay of South Africa, Miloon Kothari of India and Chris Sidoti of Australia.
Pillay and Sidoti are lawyers, Kothari and architect and human rights advocate.
While the pressure mounts, resolve inside Israel strengthens, Mitchell said.
“The whole idea of a Palestinian state, especially after October 7th is a nonstarter here. The Knesset has voted not to allow a Palestinian state. I think the large majority of Israelis will not tolerate that, and yet the international community and many of these nations are making their calls for a Palestinian state,” he said.
The Israeli government recently opened in Jerusalem what it calls “Pilgrimage Road” which stretches from the Pool of Siloam up to the Temple Mount.
It’s been years in the making.
“This demonstrates in such a powerful way the presence of the Jewish people here in the land of Israel for thousands of years,” Mitchell said. “This road was built by Pontius Pilate and was a road obviously that Jesus would have walked as well.”
It was a road walked by U.S. Sec. of State Marco Rubio earlier this week, along with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The tour symbolized the continued strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, but the combined efforts of nations against Israel has an impact, Mitchell said.
“It’s an organized campaign to delegitimize Israel and the Jewish people. It’s a very real threat,” he said.
Netanyahu, in a meeting with roughly 250 U.S. lawmakers on Monday, singled out China and Qatar among nations that he says are actively funding the campaign which includes the use of social media in Western countries to grow opposition to Israel and spread the idea of genocide, Mitchell said.
The Trump administration signed a $1.2 trillion economic deal with Qatar in May.
Just facts, please
The facts do not reflect genocide, Mitchell said.
“What the IDF has done here in Gaza City really doesn't compute in terms of genocide. They've been sending in two million tons of food to the people of Gaza. That's almost one ton per person, and they've also sent in medical supplies. We've reported on what's called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and it's an attempt to bypass Hamas, which has been stealing, looting much of the aid,” Mitchell said.
On the ground, the IDF has called up 60,000 reservists to support 70,000 troops already in Gaza City. The idea is to encircle the city, Mitchell said.
Hamas continues to hold 48 hostages, many of them dead.
“This is the last major stronghold of Hamas,” he said.
“The whole idea that the Jewish people are evil and are fostering this genocide, that they’re trying to eliminate the Palestinian people … If you come here and see for yourself, it's simply not true,” Mitchell said. “But this lie gets spread around the world, and then that spawns this kind of hatred for the Jewish people wherever they may be around the world.”
